Author: SMayuga

Supporting the arts has been an important venture for GFWC from its beginning, and clubs continue to find new ways to do so. In honor of January 31^st being National Inspire Your Heart with Art Day, we want to celebrate the artistic projects that GFWC clubs have done.

In addition to holding Arts & Crafts contests for many years, the GFWC Woman’s Club of Tarpon Springs (Florida) have also held workshops for using alcohol ink to paint on tiles. One of those workshops benefited the Hacienda Girls Ranch, a foster care group home and emergency shelter for young girls that fundraising by the GFWC Florida Federation helped launch. Another one of their fundraisers was a workshop for painting wine glasses, combining creative expression with service.

The Woman’s Club of Westminster (Maryland) has sponsored art exhibits for six years. Each exhibit features media done by local artists in various mediums, including photography, acrylics, watercolors, pen and ink, pencil, colored pencil, computer generated art, giclée photography, and basket weaving.

It began when their Arts Committee decided the utilitarian walls of their meeting space in the Carroll County Non-Profit building could use a transformation. They began to exhibit three or four art shows every year to celebrate local artwork. To date, they’ve provided a free exhibit space for over 142 local artists! Other groups who use the building routinely thank the Woman’s Club of Westminster for providing art that gives them daily pleasure.

GFWC Mississippi President Tinker Forrester’s creativity was fostered by her grandmother. She grew up watching her create intricately designed quilts and make all of her clothes without a pattern. In 2006 when Tinker was the arts chairman of her local club, she invited a guest speaker from EXPRESS Yourself! Art, and was touched by the concept. The program provides individuals with cerebral palsy the opportunity to express themselves on canvas with the assistance of a trackers, who are trained to execute the vision of individuals with severe disabilities.

Eventually Tinker became Mississippi President-elect, and knew she wanted her administration to focus on EXPRESS Yourself! Art. She reconnected with the head of the program to find out where the greatest impact could be made. When she found out that the program receives no funding, operating strictly on grants they’re able to get and part of the proceeds of art sales (with the rest going to the artists), Tinker decided to raise enough money to fund an endowment administered by the MSU Foundation so the program could be sustainable.

Tinker is thrilled that the endowment commitment has been three-quarters funded so far. But the most rewarding part has been the bond she’s developed with each of the eight artists currently involved in the program. One of her personal goals was to learn how to be a tracker for the artists, and to date, she has tracked for four of them!

We encourage you to take this Inspire Your Heart with Art Day as an opportunity to develop new ways to inspire others with a combination of art and the GFWC spirit!

January is National Blood Donor Month, meant to promote blood donation during what has proven to be the most difficult time of year to recruit donors. Holidays can be busy and distracting, and people tend to get sick in the winter. Bad weather is doubly disadvantageous, because it causes icy roads and unsafe conditions that result in an increase in traumatic injuries requiring donated blood, but it also forces the cancellations of many blood drives.

Blood donation saves lives. Victims of disasters and accidents, cancer patients, children with severe anemia, and women with pregnancy complications are some of the people who need blood transfusions and count on those who can donate. The American Red Cross reports that every two seconds, someone in the United States requires a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, it’s estimated that only 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate at any given time, with only 10 percent of that population actually donating blood each year.

While not everyone is eligible to donate, you can still do your part by taking a page out of the book of GFWC clubs who sponsor or host blood drives! The GFWC Cumberland Valley Pups (Pennsylvania) have hosted blood drives since 2011, partnering with the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank, which produces flyers for the club to post in public places. This is important to the club because they know promotion of the blood drive is critical to its success.

Club members volunteer to assist donors with paperwork and provide refreshments while they wait to give blood. They also post their mission statement and previous club projects so that their event might recruit some interested people along the way.

A total of 27 people came to their 2016 blood drive, 18 of them able to donate, and it benefitted over 54 people! In 2017, only 12 people attended, half as many as usual. The club says this is because they took for granted that the event “sold itself” in the past, and assumed past donors would continue to show up. This made the club realize the importance of giving each member a goal for getting people to commit to the blood drive in order for it to be successful.

The GFWC Amery Woman’s Club (Wisconsin) has assisted with and held blood drives for 52 years! It has grown to a two-day blood drive in the spring and fall each year. The club promotes them all over town, calls prospective donors to schedule appointments, inputs those appointments onto the Red Cross website, and sends out reminder postcards.

Members help donors sign in, serve homemade cookies, drinks, and donated snacks, and provide casseroles and salads for lunch for the Red Cross employees. After the blood drive, they write thank you letters, and write to an editor of the paper to share how many units of blood were collected and to thank the community for its support. Thoughtful touches like that help ensure people will return.

If your club is looking for a new project, consider hosting a blood drive! Hospitals are always in need of blood, so every person who donates is helping making sure supply meets the demand.

The poverty line is the estimate of the minimum level of income needed for basic life necessities. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s report, 40.6 million people in the country lived under the poverty line in 2016, a third of them children. While it was the second year in a row of a decrease in the poverty rate, that number is still too high. January is National Poverty in America Awareness Month, so it’s time to think of what you can do to make sure the poverty rate goes down every year.

There are several ways the government could address poverty, but it takes your voice to make it happen! You can write to your Congressional representatives about your support for:

• Granting employees more stability and predictability for their work schedules. Low wage jobs often have constantly changing shifts, which can be a challenge for families and single parents who are already struggling to make ends meet.
• Paid leave and paid sick days. The U.S. is the only developed country that doesn’t offer it, although individual states are beginning to. Not having paid sick leave can pose an issue for families that must sacrifice necessary income to attend to their health or care for a sick child.
• Pay equity. We’ve heard that on average, women make 79 cents for every dollar men make. However, it doesn’t acknowledge that the gap is even wider for women of color, or that men of color have their own wage gaps. Pay equity for everyone would bring many families out of poverty.

Poverty is a complicated social problem that can’t be solved by individuals, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways for you to help fight against it in your communities, or to support those living in poverty.

• Support access to quality education. Education and poverty are tied up in an unfortunate cycle. Children who come from impoverished homes face more challenges in school, especially in underfunded schools. If they don’t succeed or can’t afford college, it means those who grow up in poverty are likely to stay in poverty. But you can support low-income students by:
  • Creating or supporting afterschool meal programs.
  • Establishing libraries or donating books in underserved areas, and promoting summer reading programs— low-income students are shown to lose reading skills over the summer while their high-income peers improve.
  • Donating school supplies to children in need.
• Donate necessity items. Collect food, clothing, toiletries, first-aid items, diapers, blankets, furniture, and more items that we take for granted and give them to shelters and local organizations in your community where they will be put to good use.

This month, spread awareness of the poverty problem we have in our country, and together with your club you can advocate for change and make change of your own.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about three percent of babies are born with a birth defect each year. Common birth defects include congenital heart defects, cleft lip and cleft palate, and spina bifida— which is an incomplete closing of the backbone. Birth defects can cause serious problems in a baby’s health and development, and are also the leading cause of infant mortality. January is Birth Defects Prevention Month, and 2018’s theme is “Prevent to Protect: Prevent Infections for Baby’s Protection”. What can you do to help?

Get Educated and Spread Awareness

Promoting awareness of the prevalence and danger of birth defects is important to make prevention possible. But it’s important to first learn about birth defects yourself and then spread the word.

Some birth defects are tied to genetics and can’t be prevented, but others can be. Here are a few ways the CDC suggests that a pregnant woman can reduce the risk of birth defects:

• Avoid alcohol and cigarettes while pregnant.
• Have a preconception check-up— the doctor will make sure you’re healthy, you’re up to date on your vaccinations, and that you aren’t taking medicine that will negatively affect your baby.
• Wash your hands often to risk reduce of common infections.
• Take folic acid, an essential B-vitamin, before and during the early stages of pregnancy.
• If you have a cat, don’t change the cat litter. This will lessen your chance of getting toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by a parasite. Cats are the primary living host of the parasite, and it’s passed through their feces.

You might not be pregnant or have any plans to become pregnant, but your voice is a powerful tool, and you can make sure that the pregnant women in your life and in your community are aware of how common birth defects are and what they can do to prevent them.

Support GFWC Partner March of Dimes

Hosting a fundraiser for March of Dimes will help fund their research and programs that work to prevent birth defects.

Support GFWC Partner Operation Smile

While this month’s focus is on prevention of birth defects, that doesn’t mean treatment isn’t possible. Prevention should be prioritized, but there are still ways you can make a difference in the lives of children who have been born with birth defects. For example, you can support Operation Smile in its mission to provide free surgeries to children with cleft lip and cleft palate who don’t have access to safe surgery.

This January, spread the word about birth defects and support the organizations that work to make them less common.

GFWC clubwomen are filling the holidays with music. The Fuquay-Varina Junior Woman’s Club (North Carolina) has a Christmas Social every year that involves getting dinner at a local restaurant and then going back to a member’s house for dessert and coffee. They spend an hour caroling and sharing their memories of youth, led by a professional pianist they hire for the evening. The club enjoys adding special harmonies and tunes to the carols, and have wonderful time singing and storytelling.

Many GFWC clubs carol to bring cheer to their communities. In addition to an evening of acapella caroling at their annual Christmas party for their guests to enjoy, the Women’s Club of Farmingdale (New York) continued their annual custom of entertaining the Farmingdale Adult Day Care Center with traditional Christmas tunes!

The Swartz Creek Woman’s Club (Michigan) provided a Christmas tree lighting, complete with two live reindeer, and had the high school Madrigals and a local band sing carols. Then they had a huge event called Christmas in the Creek, which was their first ever no-fee event for their community. The event was packed with things for kids to see and do, including a penguin egg hunt and a Charlie Brown Christmas skit. The local library also featured Miss “Christmas” Carol, who read and sang songs to young children! With all of the activities and song, the club made sure their community could find Christmas spirit wherever they turned.

The Oconomowoc Junior Woman’s Club (Wisconsin) braced the wind and cold for their fourth annual tradition of Christmas caroling at local establishments in downtown Oconomowoc. The club uses the evening to raise money for Rogers Memorial Hospital Foundation, which participates in the Give for A Better Day Holiday Gift Drive that benefits the Angel Fund. The Angel Fund gives a gift to children ages 8 through 17 who will be undergoing treatment during the holiday season. Every year, the hospital staff hosts a festive party and distributes gifts to each patient. Oftentimes they are the only holiday gifts they receive. This year the club raised $363.00 for the Angel Fund, and one of the club members will purchase gift cards for the patients so they can have a brighter holiday.

The Woman’s Club of New Tampa (Florida) carolers were right on key when they shared Christmas jingles and joy with the residents at the Legacy at Highwoods Preserve. The residence offers assisted living and memory care for seniors. The club sang and served cookies and warm drinks. The tradition of bringing Christmas cheer to seniors is one of their favorite holiday outings each year.

Whether they’re caroling for a cause, or just to bring a smile to everyone’s faces, GFWC carolers are uplifting spirits in their community through song!

The holidays are filled with traditions that get everyone ready for the season. One popular tradition GFWC clubs have to kickoff Christmas in their communities is hosting a Breakfast with Santa. Christmas came early for the Kings Mountain Woman’s Club (North Carolina), who held their eighth annual Breakfast with Santa event in mid-November. It was intentionally planned early so families could have an opportunity to include their children’s photos with Santa on their family Christmas cards. The cost of breakfast was $8 for adults and $5 for children, but the club sponsors a local family each year to enjoy the festivities free of charge. In addition to a breakfast buffet and photos with Santa, there was also an “Elf Closet” where children could purchase $1 gifts for their families. The club appreciates how the event reaches the heart of their community, and allows families to celebrate this joyous time of year.

The Camp Hill Junior Civic Club (Pennsylvania) were surprised by how much their Breakfast with Santa brings everyone together. They’ve sponsored it for five years now, and get help from the fire department, the Girl Scouts, and the middle school’s volunteer club. Neighbors get to sit and catch up while their children play with friends, making it a pleasurable time for everyone! Proceeds from the event benefit their scholarship fund and local charities, and so the larger community benefits too.

The Pasco Junior Women’s Club (Florida) sold 125 tickets to their Breakfast with Santa this year, with four time slots that allowed for a smooth and calm experience for their guests. The club provides breakfast, a craft, and small toys that Santa Claus gives to each child.

The event was advertised on flyers placed throughout their area, including within local childcare facilities. The club members enjoy the intimate experience, and thinks of it less as a fundraising experience, and more as a way to provide a service to the families in their community. The event is also a chance for recruitment because most of the women who attend are interested in what the club does, and are encouraged to learn more.

Breakfast with Santa has been a beloved tradition of the Woman’s Club of Laurel (Maryland) since the 1970s. Many children who grew up with the annual tradition now bring their own children. The club was fortunate to have the same Santa Clause for 30 years until he retired in 2011, and have had another Santa going strong since 2012. There are four hourly sessions of about 40 to 50 people each. The event is well-publicized in their community, and they keep a list of attendees to mail courtesy invitations for the following year’s event. It is one of their major fundraisers each year, but they also consider it a community service project, so with that in mind, they keep their admission price low so that the event is accessible to as many families as possible. Local stores donate food and supplies that help keep the costs down so more of what they raise goes towards the club’s philanthropic efforts. To add to the holiday spirit and raise additional funds, the club raffles stuffed animals and sell poinsettias for a nominal cost.

GFWC clubs are making sure their communities aren’t short of cheer this holiday season. With delicious food, a festive atmosphere, and Santa Claus himself, Breakfast with Santa events allow clubs to foster a lasting relationship with their communities.

Sunday December 10^th is International Human Rights Day! GFWC’s focus on making a difference in the lives of children, women, and human trafficking victims all falls under the scope of this global day that acknowledges human rights issues, and our need to stand up against the violation of human rights.

The observance honors the UN’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights almost seventy years ago. It outlined certain rights— including the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, the right to education, etc. — that everyone is entitled to without discrimination. That means a person’s race, sex, religion, and any other identity status cannot prevent them from having the same rights and standard of living as anyone else. The drafting committee of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was actually chaired by none other than Eleanor Roosevelt, a dynamic leader that GFWC is proud to call one of our own.

A few examples of human rights violations include sexual harassment and assault, unsafe labor conditions, torture, slavery, and child trafficking and labor. GFWC clubs have promoted programs and legislation to support and protect human rights, and International Human Rights Day is a celebration of that tradition. So what can you do to acknowledge the observance this year?

• Have your club read the Declaration of Human Rights and plan what you can do as a group in 2018 to fight for human rights.
• Use social media to spread awareness and support for the day. Your social media account can be a platform to talk about why human rights are important to you, and how everyone can make a difference. Encourage your friends and family to educate themselves on how human rights are being violated across the country and the world, and to speak out against it.
• Find an organization to write letters of solidarity to people whose human rights are being violated.
• Organize a fundraising event for organizations that work to protect human rights, like GFWC Partners UNICEF and Prevent Child Abuse America.

If you can’t do anything on the actual date, don’t worry! December is actually National Human Rights Month, so you have the whole month to celebrate the human rights we have, and plan how you’re going to make sure they’re upheld!

Winter is around the corner and temperatures are beginning to drop. In preparation, GFWC clubs have been busy collecting coats for anyone who might not have the proper attire to keep warm and safe this winter, including homeless individuals, low-income students, and victims of domestic violence.

Every year the Bowling Green Junior Woman’s Club (Kentucky) partners with the Bowling Green Police Department to host a coat drive. This year they kicked off their 26^th annual Coats for Kids drive on October 1^st and will be collecting coats until December 1^st. Last year, the club collected over 1,500 coats for kids, teens, and adults in their community.

The club works with the city and school resource directors to get a list of their needs in each school. They collect new and gently used coats, bringing the used coats to local drycleaners who clean them at no charge. In addition to physical coats, the club also accepts monetary donations, all of which go directly to purchasing new coats for the schools so no child will be cold. This year they raised $5,000!

Once they’ve distributed coats to the schools, the remaining coats are displayed at the club’s community wide coat distribution day so that anyone can stop by and get a free coat. The club works with the Salvation Army, Hotel Inc., and BRASS, who come to the distribution day and take any leftover coats to their offices to distribute to those who need them throughout the winter.

The Salem Woman’s Service Club (Oregon) has found an alternative to hosting a coat drive. For the past three years they have partnered with a children’s clothing consignment store to pick up all of their unsold items each month, which includes coats, sweaters, and other warm clothing. They donate the clothes to non-profits in their community who give them directly to children and families in the area who need them. Rather than let those unused items waste away, the club makes sure they get put to good use.

With heated homes and coats to bundle into when we leave those homes, we often take for granted that we can stay warm in the winter. But too many people experience freezing temperatures without winter wear, and that can be dangerous and life-threatening in harsh conditions and severe storms. With every coat or sweater that GFWC clubs collect, that’s one more person who can better survive the winter. If your club doesn’t have a winter clothing collection project, consider it for next year! Even if you don’t have an event in place yet, look into your closet to find coats and other clothing you can donate to make sure everyone can beat the cold this winter.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, that means Giving Tuesday is almost here too. Giving Tuesday is an international day encouraging everyone to kick off the season of giving. It takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. to remind people to be generous to others for the holidays following the shopping events of both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Consider some of these ways you can participate in Giving Tuesday this year!

Donate to GFWC

Giving Tuesday is right around the time when GFWC clubs and clubwomen begin to think about their end-of-year giving. When you contribute to GFWC, you are upholding our legacy and expanding the reach of our projects and programs. Since GFWC is a 501C(3) charitable organization, that means your donations are tax-deductible. Here are a few ways you can make your donations to GFWC:

Campaign for the Future– You can help preserve GFWC Headquarters. The historic building isn’t just a headquarters, but a home, and a symbol of the organization’s endurance.

Disaster and Relief Funds- Library Replenishment Fund– You can help restock the collections of libraries that have been impacted by natural and manmade disasters.

Friends of WHRC– You can support the WHRC and its outreach activities, fellowships, and internships, and help preserve and build its collections of publications on women’s history.

GFWC Signature Program Fund– You can support the victims of domestic violence by helping fund scholarships for them to pursue higher education.

You can find the compiled list of ways to donate to GFWC by clicking here. You can donate through the GFWC Marketplace, or you can mail a check to:

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs
1734 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036

If you send a check, make sure to specify which fund you want to support.

Service Project

Donations aren’t the only thing you can give for Giving Tuesday. You can also give your time and effort to a service project in your community. Plan a day of service and invite your friends, family, and neighbors to get involved!

Rally on Social Media

Don’t forget to promote the day on social media with the hashtag #GivingTuesday so that more people can join! Social media has proved to be a beneficial method of getting large-scale participation in something like Giving Tuesday. One way to maximize your impact is to be specific! If you’re going to be donating to a specific cause, encourage your friends on social media to make a donation as well. Share the link so that they can more easily access where to donate, and will be more likely to do so. Even if you ask your friends to spare just $5 for your cause, it can have a big effect if multiple people join in.

Donate to GFWC Partners

The partnerships that GFWC creates are important to the organization’s success in changing our communities for the better. GFWC Partners are a great resource for clubs, and so this Giving Tuesday, you can decide on the partner that best fits your club’s interests and make a donation to ensure that their hard work continues. Click here for a complete list of our partners.

No matter how you decide to celebrate Giving Tuesday, we’re sure you’ll create positive change and make sure that the day lives up to its name.